Jill & LK
Jill and Loren “LK” Kleinman have proudly owned and directed Camp Taconic since 2004. For more than two decades, they have brought their warmth, experience, and love of working with children to every aspect of camp. Together, they oversee Taconic’s operations and are deeply involved in creating an exceptional summer experience for every camper.
Jill also serves as President of the Board of Directors of SCOPE, a nonprofit that provides children from underserved communities with access to overnight summer camp.
Jill and LK are both graduates of Brown University and earned their master’s degrees in business administration from New York University. Athletics have always been an important part of their lives—Jill played tennis at Brown, while LK played baseball.
Before coming to Taconic, Jill owned a children’s book and toy store for ten years and was extensively involved in youth sports and community organizations, including serving as President of the Tenafly Youth Basketball Organization and as a coordinator for the JCC Maccabi Games. LK, a civil engineer by training, spent 25 years in the construction industry as a general contractor. He also served as President of Temple Sinai of Bergen County and spent many years coaching youth sports.
For Jill and LK, Taconic is truly a family affair. They are especially proud to spend their summers at camp alongside all six of their grandchildren.
Jason & Sammy
Jason and Sammy Kleinman bring a lifelong love of Camp Taconic and a shared passion for working with children to the Owner/Director team. Together with Jill and LK, they are deeply involved in all aspects of camp and committed to creating the same meaningful Taconic experience for today’s campers that they were fortunate to have growing up.
For Jason, sports, the outdoors, and building relationships with campers and staff have always been at the heart of his connection to camp. A three-sport athlete at Tenafly High School, he earned 10 varsity letters and captained all three of his teams. Jason went on to attend Colgate University, where he earned a degree in Political Science and served as president of his fraternity.
After beginning his career at a communications firm in New York City, Jason realized that his true passion was camp. He joined Taconic’s leadership team as a Head Counselor in 2016, became an Associate Director in 2017, and an Owner/Director in 2018.
Sammy’s connection to Taconic runs just as deep. She and Jason first met at Taconic as campers, grew up together as best friends, and were married in 2017. An educator by profession, Sammy graduated from the University of Wisconsin and earned a dual master’s degree in childhood and special education from Hunter College. During the school year, she teaches kindergarteners and first graders with special needs and brings her experience, warmth, and love of working with children to Taconic each summer.
For Jason and Sammy, Taconic has always been much more than a summer camp—it is where they grew up, where their story together began, and now a place they are proud to share with their daughters, Juliet and Isabel.
Chris Ternouth
Chris is originally from the UK and moved to the United States full-time to pursue his career at Camp Taconic. He joined Camp Taconic in 2014 as a soccer counselor and has been an integral member of the team ever since. Chris has held many positions at camp, including Group Head, Head Counselor, Operations Director, and Associate Director, before becoming a Director in 2024.
His primary focus is helping to lead the boys’ side of camp, working closely with campers and counselors to support daily life. Chris plays a key role in ensuring the boys’ side remains a positive, structured, and fun environment where campers can thrive. He is also involved in many of the operations that help the camp run smoothly.
Chris spends the summer at camp with his wife, Sarah, who serves as an Associate Director, and their daughter, Sophie, who is growing up surrounded by the Taconic community. During the off-season, they live in New Jersey, where Chris enjoys staying active by playing soccer and pickleball.
Cari Katz
Cari started her career at Taconic as a waterfront counselor and boat driver the summer after graduating from high school. She went on to become a kindergarten teacher, and continued spending her summers at camp. Cari met her husband Jeff, a former Taconic camper, while they were working as counselors together. Cari has been a Group Head, Head Counselor, and Associate Director. Over the summer, Cari runs girls’ line with Jill and in the off-season, she focuses on staffing in the Winter Office. Cari, Jeff and their two daughters, Parker and Zoe, live in Woodcliff Lake, NJ.
